The Sisterhood of Karn
by cheri1
Summary: Twelve/Rose with Clara. After receiving a message from Karn, the Doctor and Clara travel to it and the Doctor finds an old friend there in a disturbing situation. FINISHED.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The Twelfth Doctor stood at the console, piloting the TARDIS while Clara stood on the opposite side and watched him. The Doctor had just picked up Clara from her house after receiving a stern warning from Danny about looking after her and making sure she was alright. The Doctor resisted the urge to salute him and say "Sir!" the way Danny had done to him and instead promised him politely that he would. He then had to wait until the snogging was over, about two minutes worth of it, before Danny finally left and Clara left with him. He took her into space and idled her until he could think of a destination.

"So where are we headed?" Clara said as she walked around the console to his side.

"Well, I don't know," the Doctor said. "Thought today could be a sort of where the winds take us day. How about that?"

"Sounds wonderful," Clara said.

The Doctor smiled at that. He was about to put the controls on random when they suddenly heard a knocking on the door. Clara frowned.

"Wait, aren't we in space?" Clara said.

"Yes," the Doctor said.

"Then…who's knocking?"

"Probably Danny, he wants one more go at you and he couldn't wait till you got back," the Doctor said as he walked around her and headed towards the door.

"Somehow, I doubt that," Clara said as she followed him.

He opened the door and gasped when a glowing, transparent cube flew inside the door. Clara gasped and reeled back when the cube flew towards her.

"Oh bollocks, not this again," the Doctor said before catching the cube. "Let me guess, another living planet wants me to visit it?"

"Doctor, are you there?" a woman's voice said from inside the glowing cube. "Doctor, this is Ohila of the Sisterhood of Karn."

"Oh no, not this lot," the Doctor groaned.

"We have something of yours, if you want it, come and get it."

"Yeah, I'm sure you do," the Doctor said as the cube stopped glowing and shut down.

"Who is Ohila?" Clara said.

"The leader of the Sisterhood of Karn. They're a cult of daft women who think they're all mystic and powerful but they're nothing but trouble. At least to me. Nearly burned me alive once," he said, closing the doors.

"Burned you alive?"

"Misunderstanding," the Doctor said dismissively.

"Sounds like a big misunderstanding to me," Clara said as she followed him to the console. "So are we going then?"

"Dunno. This message might be old, might be new. Who knows how long it's been flying around in space. Takes awhile to find a bloke like me."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

The Doctor sat the cube down on the console and stared at it for a moment while Clara waited. Finally, he sighed and walked over to his monitor.

"Better see what they want, might be something important," the Doctor said.

Clara nodded and stood with him while he inputted coordinates for Karn.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Clara stepped outside with the Doctor onto the surface of Karn. The planet was barren and desolate and littered with metal corpses of wrecked spaceships.

"What happened here?" Clara said as the Doctor closed the TARDIS doors. "Why are there so many spaceships?"

"The Sisterhood shot them down…or did," the Doctor said, turning around. "They were defending themselves because they have the Elixir of Life and they have the Flame of Utter Boredom as well. I'm sure that was worth blowing up a few ships."

"Flame of Utter Boredom?" Clara said as they walked away from the TARDIS.

"Eternal Life but I call it utter boredom along with utter rubbish and utter codswallop."

"Well of course you do," Clara muttered as she rolled her eyes.

They were walking by the spaceships when the Doctor suddenly stopped and looked at one that was in the distance apart from the others. It was old and falling apart with pieces scattered all over the place. Clara glanced at the Doctor and was surprised to see a stricken look on his face. She thought it odd that one spaceship could cause him to stop short when they'd just passed dozens of them.

"Cass," the Doctor murmured as he stared at the spaceship. "I'm so sorry."

"Who's Cass?" Clara asked.

The Doctor sighed.

"Someone I failed to save a long time ago," he said. "Can't be helped now."

Clara wanted him to elaborate further but he walked away and Clara decided that would never happen so she held her tongue and followed. A half mile from the crash site was a large cave and the Doctor led her to that. When they looked inside, Clara saw a large stone that resembled an altar in the middle of a cavernous room. At the back was another opening but beyond it was completely dark. There were several wooden torches lit which provided enough lighting that they could see what was going on but there was nobody present.

"IS ANYONE HERE?" the Doctor bellowed as he and Clara stepped inside the room. "I WISH TO SPEAK TO ANYONE FROM THE SISTERHOOD OF KARN. I RECEIVED A MESSAGE SUMMONING ME!"

He fell silent and listened for any sign of life.

"Maybe the message was so old that no one is waiting for you anymore," Clara said after a minute of silence.

"No, they wouldn't give up so easily. They're here. That doorway back there, I'm guessing is a tunnel to their monastery. They don't live in this room, Clara. This is where the conduct their rituals."

"What sort of rituals?" Clara said.

"These women were originally from Gallifrey or rather their ancestors were. Millennia ago, Gallifrey was mired in superstition and magic and ruled by a woman or group of women called the Pythia who were supposedly seers and sorcerers. They ruled with an iron hand until Rassilon, Omega and the Other finally overthrew them and installed a culture based on science and reason. The remaining followers of the Pythia fled to Karn and their descendants still practice the old ways, still thinking that their way is superior. They were considered pariahs on Gallifrey until my friend Romana became president and opened up diplomatic relations with them. But despite that, most Gallifreyans still looked on them with disgust and ridicule."

"And you do as well?"

"Well, they did try to burn me at the stake because they thought I was stealing their Elixir of Life, which I wasn't. Then they thought their precious flame was dying and they thought it was because of me. Turns out that it was centuries of soot that was clogging the shaft and I threw a firecracker in it and hey presto, the flame was saved. Go me!"

Clara giggled when the Doctor pumped his fist in the air and let out a woot. They fell silent and the Doctor lowered his hand when they noticed a light was reflecting off the stone walls of the passageway that led out of the room. After thirty seconds, a young woman dressed in a long, red dress emerged holding a flaming torch. She had long blonde hair that cascaded down the front to her breasts and she had white makeup over the entirety of her face and put red makeup around her eyes in a circular pattern that made her look bizarre. The girl put the torch in an empty holder on the wall and then brought her arms up in front of her breasts, crossing them at the wrist and flaring her fingers out. Clara frowned when she kept them that way as she spoke to the Doctor.

"The Sisterhood has heard you, Doctor. You are to follow me. The High Priestess needs to meet with you," she said in a flat emotionless voice.

"Fine, fine, just get on with it," the Doctor said impatiently.

"Follow me," the woman said.

She took the torch from its holder and turned and walked back into the passageway. Clara nudged the Doctor and imitated the woman's bizarre crossed wrists and flared hands. The Doctor chuckled at that and put his hand on her shoulder before the two of them followed the woman.

Once inside the passageway, it began to gently slope downwards until the tunnel was underground. The rock walls gave way to dirt ones the deeper they went.

"So, what's your name?" Clara said after five minutes of silence.

The woman didn't speak.

"Hey, Witchy Woman with the torch, Clara asked you a question," the Doctor yelled at her.

"I am called Mira," the woman said, briefly looking over her shoulder before turning her head back around.

"So how long have you been here, Mira?" Clara asked.

There was no answer and Clara looked at the Doctor.

"Not the talkative type, I suppose," he said with a shrug.

"They walked for twenty more minutes before the tunnel started sloping upwards. Gradually the dirt wall became rock again and finally Clara saw a large wooden door in front of them. On the door was carved several magical symbols.

"Any idea what the symbols mean on the door?" Clara said to the Doctor as she pointed to them.

"Probably this way to the loo or something like that," the Doctor quipped.

He smiled when Clara chuckled at that.

They waited while Mira opened the door and then they followed her through it. They were inside a large room with marble floors and stone walls that had tapestries on it. Each tapestry depicted a woman. Each woman wore a red dress and all of them were wearing a red headdress that was flat on the top with flaps down the sides.

"Who are they?" Clara asked Mira as she pointed to the tapestries.

"Our most reverend High Priestesses that have since passed into the great beyond," Mira said in the same toneless voice she had before.

The Doctor looked around at the different tapestries and recognized Ohica in one of them. Then he looked again and he suddenly recognized another.

"That one there," he said, pointing to it. "She was the one who brought me back to life when I crashed here."

"Yes, that is the High Priestess Ohila," Mira said as she came to his side. "She was the one who summoned you."

"So she's dead now?" Clara said.

"Yes, she passed into the great beyond several years ago," Mira said.

"So whatever she wanted isn't relavent anymore," Clara said to Mira.

"How so?" Mira said, turning to her.

Clara stepped back from her, not yet used to the cadaver makeup and red around her eyes. It made her look bizarre and creepy in her opinion.

"She wanted to speak to him about something," Clara said. "But she's dead now."

"Correct. However, what we found is still here," Mira said. "We found a woman, a very extraordinary woman that was lost. We took her in and began her training and she is now our High Priestess."

"And what has that got to do with me?" the Doctor said.

"She mentioned you by name, Doctor," Mira said calmly as she turned towards him.

"She did? Who is she?" the Doctor said.

"She had an Earth name but we have rechristened her and gave her a Gallifreyan equivalent. She is now known as Arkytior."

Clara jerked her head towards the Doctor when he heard the sharp intake of breath and she grabbed his arm when he staggered back a couple of steps. Then the shock quickly became anger and Clara noticed the Doctor balling up his fists as his murderous look at Mira was in sharp contrast to her calm, impassive look.

"Take me to her then," the Doctor growled at Mira. "Take me to Rose this instant!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Clara had never seen the Doctor so enraged before. She looked at Mira who was gazing at him calmly and thinking how the woman must either be really stupid or really brave.

"What have you done to her?" the Doctor bellowed at Mira. "Where did you find her?"

"We found her on Karn and the Sisterhood took her in, sheltered her, fed her and taught her. She is a woman and every woman on Karn must become part of the Sisterhood or die."

Clara backed up at hearing that and the Doctor glanced at her and deliberately got between her and Mira.

"You nutters have been a thorn in my side for far too long," the Doctor growled at Mira. "If you've harmed Rose with your so called teachings, I will tear this place to the ground with my bare hands and burn you all at the stake, you got that?"

Clara was shocked at the level of fury the Doctor was demonstrating over this Rose. She began to wonder if Rose was another one of the Doctor's "Exes". Before she could ask him, Mira calmly told them to follow her and she turned, ignoring the Doctor's rage and led them out of the room.

"I better find Rose with her sanity intact or they'll be hell to pay," the Doctor muttered as he and Clara followed her.

"Is she another ex then?" Clara ventured to ask as they followed Mira to another carved door.

"Yes," the Doctor said, calming down for Clara's benefit.

"Do you think they did hurt her?" Clara said as they passed through the door into a short corridor.

"I don't know. I don't trust these people. For all I know, they might have filled Rose's head with superstitious nonsense and if she's the High Priestess now..."

"You think they might have brainwashed her?" Clara said when the Doctor fell silent.

The Doctor kept silent but Clara saw him clench his jaw and saw the rage in his eyes and was glad she wasn't going to be on the receiving end of his wrath if they did do something to her.

Mira led them to another carved door and opened it. She ushered them inside and Clara looked around when they stepped in. it was another stone room with more tapestries on the walls, except these had magical symbols and mythical beasts on it. In the center of the room was a dais with a golden throne on it. More symbols were carved into the high back of the chair. Beyond that was another carved wooden door that was shut. Mira told them to wait here before turning and leaving the room the same way they came in. the Doctor narrowed his eyes when the door closed and he could hear it being locked.

"Doctor, what she said about women having to join their group or die…" Clara said.

"Don't worry, I won't let them hurt you," the Doctor said.

Clara nodded, her fears eased. She walked over to one of the tapestries and gazed at it. It looked like a unicorn except it had two long horns in the middle of its forehead.

"What's this?" Clara said, pointing to it.

The Doctor turned to look at it.

"No idea. Probably some mythical creature they thought up that gives them power and loads of biscuits and things like that," the Doctor said, waving his hand dismissively.

Clara grinned at that.

"If it's real, can we ride the unicorn then?" she teased.

The Doctor shared her grin.

"Ah but it's not a unicorn with two horns, eh? It would be a goat…horse. A goat horse. It's a goat horse," he said, gesturing to it.

"Can we ride the goat horse then?"

"If you behave and not convert to their wacky religion, then you can ride the goat horse at the end of the day."

He grinned when Clara jumped up and down like a child and whooped at that. They both fell silent and the Doctor sobered up when the door behind the throne opened and several ladies came inside, all of them wearing white makeup and either red makeup around the eyes or red dots on their cheeks. All of them were wearing the funny flattop headdress and all of them formed a circle around the dais after the last one closed the door behind her. Clara noticed the Doctor was frantically searching the faces but since she didn't know what Rose looked like, she couldn't help him in his search. The women began to sway and do jerky movements with their arms, pawing at the air in slow motion while they chanted something. It looked ridiculous to her and she could tell the Doctor was annoyed with it and becoming impatient as he divided his attention between the group and the closed door.

"Could you skip the interpretive dance thing and let me see Rose?" the Doctor finally said after two minutes of chanting, swaying and pawing.

"They look ridiculous, Doctor," Clara said.

"You think? I had to endure this rubbish the first time I was here and that's when I was being burned at the stake. COME ON!" the Doctor yelled at the women.

He sighed when the women ignored him and kept on with their ritual. The Doctor mimed looking at an imaginary watch and pointed emphatically to it while Clara chuckled. Then she laughed harder when the Doctor imitated their jerky pawing with wide eyes. Clara nudged him and when he looked her way did the crossed wrists and flared fingers pose while she stared at him with wide eyes. The Doctor chuckled and did it back to her making Clara snort with laughter. The Doctor lowered his arms to his sides and sighed as the ritual went on.

"Could the weird makes no sense at all dance stop soon please?" he said to them. "I didn't come here to die of boredom."

Mira yelled and the dancers finally ceased their ritualistic dance.

"At last," the Doctor said with a sigh of relief.

However, when the back door slowly opened, Clara noticed the Doctor tensing up and his eyes were riveted to it and she swore that he wasn't even breathing as he watched the door open.

Then two women came through it and took up positions on either side of the door. Clara sniggered when they did the crossed wrists pose but her laughter stilled when a young woman entered the room and everyone bowed reverently. Clara studied her as she walked regally towards the throne. She was probably in her mid twenties with blonde hair that came down the front to her breasts like many of the other women present. She was wearing the same red dress and headdress as the others except her headdress had tassels on the earflaps and tiny gemstones encircling the brim. The woman had on the same cadaver makeup with tiny red dots on each cheeks. Her eyeliner and eye shadow was the same red color and she wore a calm, almost bored, expression on her face. Clara looked at the Doctor. His jaw had gone slack and she could see the rage in his eyes as the women parted to allow the young woman to ascend to the throne.

"Is that Rose?" Clara asked the Doctor.

The Doctor nodded, never taking his eyes off Rose. When she was seated, the women at the door closed it, walked over to the dais, stepped up on either side of it and resumed their crossed wrists pose as Rose studied the newcomers calmly. Clara looked at her face but she couldn't see any sign of recognition. She wondered if the Sisterhood even told her that the man standing in front of her was the Doctor because she didn't seem to know who he was.

"I am Arkytior," Rose said gravely with a posh accent. "Who are you?"

Clara looked at the Doctor when he didn't speak and could see he was struggling to get the words out. So she decided to take temporary charge of the situation.

"I'm Clara and this is…the Doctor," she said putting emphasis on the Doctor's name.

Both she and the Doctor fell silent after that but Rose didn't have a reaction to hearing the Doctor's name.

"And what is the purpose of your visit?" she said to them in a dull voice.

That was when the Doctor lost it.

"WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?" he roared at the women while he pointed to Rose.

"You will not raise your voice around me, stranger," Rose said angrily.

"Rose, it's me, the Doctor. Your Doctor. I know I regenerated but it's me," the Doctor said desperately. "Remember Henricks when I took your hand and told you to run. It's me."

He fell silent waiting for a reaction but Rose only let out a bored sigh in response.

"What is the purpose of your visit?" she said annoyed.

"Question!" the Doctor said angrily, ignoring Rose. "Who is second in command here? Who was here when she came here because I want to know what you did to "teach" Rose to become one of you. So who was here when she was found?"

"The High Priestess has asked you a question," the woman standing to the right of the throne told him.

"Sod the High Priestess, I want to speak to Rose," the Doctor said to them. "So whatever mumbo jumbo magic spell brainwashing you did to her, I want it REVERSED!" he yelled.

"Seize them!" Rose said, pointing to the Doctor and Clara.

"For what?" Clara said as the women rushed them.

"You were warned not to raise your voice around the High Priestess and now you have insulted her," Mira said as the women took hold of them.

Both of them tried to fight the Sisterhood off but now more women were streaming through the back door to contain them. The Doctor looked at Rose who was sitting on the throne calmly watching everything play out in front of her.

"Rose, listen, I'm the Doctor. I can save you from this! You've got to believe me! Stop them!" the Doctor said as he and Clara were pulled away towards the front door.

The Doctor kept on yelling Rose's name as Clara begged her to help them. Rose sat quietly on her throne and watched as the Doctor and Clara's legs were lifted up and they were carried out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The Doctor grunted when the women dumped him and Clara unceremoniously into a jail cell deep underground. The cells were carved out of the dirt but lined with concrete. It was windowless and there was nothing inside it except a small hole that was used as the latrine. Several of the women blocked their way as the others filed out of a stone door that had one barred window in the center of it.

"You won't get away with this," the Doctor snarled at Mira who was helping to block the door. "I will make you sorry you ever did this to Rose."

"The High Priestess will be consulted and her punishment for you will be relayed back to you in due time," Mira said.

"Let me guess, burning at the stake," the Doctor said.

At a signal, the women guarding the door began to back up towards it. Several women standing beyond the door withdrew laser blasters and aimed them at the prisoners while the others departed the room.

"I beg an audience with the High Priestess," the Doctor said to Mira as she stepped backwards through the door.

"You have insulted her, you will be punished," Mira said.

"I want to apologize to her and make amends," the Doctor said calmly. "Please let me start over again because I made a mistake."

"I will inform the High Priestess of your request and if it is granted, you will be allowed to speak," Mira said. "Until that time or the time of your punishment, you will stay here."

The Doctor flipped her the vees as Mira shut the door and locked it. He sighed angrily and looked around.

"Wow, this must be the height of luxury on Karn," he said gesturing to the walls.

"Will they kill me as well or try to brainwash me, I wonder," Clara said.

The Doctor had walked over to the hole, bent down to look inside and then jerked up, repulsed by the smell.

"I would vote for dying," the Doctor said, walking away from the hole. "Then you wouldn't have to wear a funny hat and be Marcel Marceau every night."

He walked over to the door, peered out at the dirt wall of the tunnel they were in and with another sigh, walked over to the right side of the wall and sat down with his back against it. Clara followed suit and sat down beside him.

"See. This…" the Doctor said, gesturing to the door. "This nonsense here, this was the ruling class of Gallifrey for centuries and anyone who didn't believe in them was put to death…that is to say, anyone with a rational mind snuffed it and all because they believe some mystical flame gives them power."

"And if they don't put us to death, they might brainwash us."

"Oh no, not me," the Doctor said, putting up his hands while Clara chuckled. "They're not putting me in a dress and putting clown makeup on my face. They can kill me first."

Clara chuckled at that but then a thought came to her that made her sober up.

"If they burn you, you'll regenerate again," Clara said. "And if you can't escape, you'll keep on regenerating in the midst of the flames. Oh God…"

"Which is why, Clara, I don't intend to die that way," the Doctor said gently as he patted her arm. "No, I intend to get you and Rose out of here before you end up doing interpretive dance at her feet."

They looked over when they heard the door unlocking. Mira opened the door as they got to their feet and entered the room with a laser blaster.

"The High Priestess has allowed you to petition her for mercy," Mira said. "The female can stay here in the meantime."

"No, the female cannot because I'm afraid the female will be gone by the time I return and headed off to reconditioning classes," the Doctor said.

"The High Priestess has granted you permission to approach her, not the female."

"The female is called Clara and the High Priestess can see her as well. She doesn't bite. Well, maybe she does but she'll be on her best behavior, promise."

"This is not negotiable. You will see the High Priestess alone or not at all," Mira said.

"Alright. Then promise me that Clara is not harmed or carted off or done in or just touched in general while I'm gone."

"She will be unharmed," Mira said.

"Not sure if that's comforting to you but it's the best I can do," the Doctor said to her.

"I'll be alright just go get Rose back," Clara said.

The Doctor nodded and touched her shoulder before walking towards Mira. Clara made sure to stand far away from the door so Mira wouldn't have a reason to shoot her. She watched as the Doctor walked out with Mira and the door was shut and locked.

"I wouldn't wanna be in your shoes right now, Lady," Clara muttered to herself as she slid down the wall to the floor. "Because I have a feeling you're not going to like what the Doctor has in store for you and your friends."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mira led the Doctor back to the Throne Room. When they entered, Rose was sitting in her chair. Beside her was an elderly lady wearing a red dress but no headdress. Her silvery hair flowed down past her breasts and to the Doctor's surprise, she was wearing no makeup. The woman wasn't standing with the wrists crossed pose but had her arms down at her sides, waiting with Rose while the Doctor was stood in front of her. When he was finally in place, the woman told Mira to go. Mira bowed and left the room, closing and locking the door behind her. The Doctor gazed at Rose for a moment but saw no recognition in her face. He then turned his attention to the elderly woman.

"And you are…" he said to her.

"I am Ortha, the High Priestess's mentor and advisor. You asked if someone was here when Arkytior was found, I am one of the people who was there when she found us."

"Good. Tell me what happened then."

The Doctor looked at Rose.

"If it pleases the High Priestess," he said politely.

Ortha glanced at Rose and Rose nodded her consent.

"The woman you call Rose arrived on Karn about ten years ago," Ortha said. "She was lost and looking for a man called the Doctor. She told us that the stars were going out and she needed his assistance."

"What?" the Doctor said. "Wait, sorry…did she appear out of thin air then?"

"I have no idea. We were performing a ritual in our cave when she came to the entrance and asked for help."

"Okay, I'll ask the High Priestess then. High Priestess, how did you get to Karn?" the Doctor said to Rose.

Rose didn't speak.

"Come on, Rose, how did you come to Karn? The dimension cannon? Because if the stars were going out and you were searching for me and this lot took you and brainwashed you, they have just interfered with a major event in time and you lot need to let her go so she can be taken back to where she was and let the proper timeline be restored. So was it the dimension cannon, Rose?"

"I am the High Priestess and you will speak to my advisor on this matter."

"Damn it, she has been brainwashed by you lot!" the Doctor yelled.

"If you insist on yelling, you can go back to your cell," Ortha said.

"I am yelling because I am furious," the Doctor said to her. "You nutters took Rose, presumably against her will, and brainwashed her into…this," he said, pointing to Rose. "She is not your High Priestess; she is a young woman who needs to fulfill another destiny that doesn't involve sitting on a throne and wearing clown makeup."

"On the contrary, she has great power within her," Ortha said. "The Sisterhood recognized it and instructed her and turned her into the High Priestess she was meant to be. That is her destiny!"

"What power? Chav power?" the Doctor said.

"A great guardian spirit lives within her. One that protects her and keeps her young and powerful. She is exactly the sort of woman we need leading the sisterhood."

"What guardian spirit?" the Doctor said, exasperated.

Ortha pointed to a tapestry off to the left. The Doctor looked where she was pointing and did a double take. When he first entered, he hadn't really paid much attention to the tapestries because he was fixated on Rose but now that he got a good look at it, he was astonished to see a white wolf with a golden aura around it and his throat went dry.

"No, that's impossible. I took the power out of her ages ago," the Doctor said, turning his attention back to Ortha.

"Then it seems you failed. We have seen the power ourselves," Ortha said. "In fact, the woman's aura is this golden glow that you see around the wolf."

"Okay, for the sake of argument, let's say that Rose has this Bad Wolf entity inside of her."

Ortha did a double take.

"You know the name of the guardian spirit?" she said.

For the first time since he saw her, the Doctor noticed something click inside Rose and he swore for a few seconds there was a hint of recognition before her face became passive again. Whether or not what he just saw was correct, the Doctor was determined to hold on to that. So he ignored Ortha and addressed Rose personally.

"Rose, I was with you when the Bad Wolf signs kept appearing. Remember?" he said. "We saw so many of them and wondered what it was. And then on the Gamestation, you saved me. I watched you turned the Daleks into atoms. How could I know that happened if I wasn't there with you? It's me, Rose. See me!"

His hearts leapt when he could see that Rose's face was straining as if she was trying to bring back the memories of those days he spent with her. But before she could recall anything, Ortha yelled for others to come and get the Doctor and take him back to his cell. The Doctor gritted his teeth and without warning, lunged at Ortha, toppling her off the dais. Ortha landed hard on her back behind the throne while the Doctor quickly put his fingers against Rose's temples and entered her mind. He found a massive mental barrier surrounding her memories and quickly tried to break through it while Rose's eyes shut and she went limp. The Doctor was aware of the door being unlocked and Ortha screaming for someone to come and pull him off the High Priestess so he used all his mental ability to force a bit of his consciousness into Rose's mind, leaving it there to do his work for him before he pulled out of her mind and stepped away from her.

By now, the door was unlocked and the women were streaming inside. The Doctor put his hands up and stepped away from Rose, who was now unconscious and slumped in her chair. Ortha was behind the throne screaming at the women to take him back to his cell and bellowing what the Doctor did to their High Priestess at the top of her lungs. The Doctor let himself be seized and with one last look back at Rose, let himself be led out of the room and back to his cell.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Clara looked over when the door opened and the sisters led the Doctor inside.

"Still here, wasn't harmed in any way," Clara said to him.

"That's good because I have a feeling I'm going to be harmed very soon," the Doctor said as he stepped away from the group of women.

"Oh no, what happened?" Clara said.

The Doctor waited till the women were gone and the door was shut and locked before he walked over and sat down beside her. He told her what happened and smiled when he saw that familiar look of concern come over Clara's face.

"Don't worry, I'll think of something," the Doctor said, smiling tenderly. "I'm not gonna regenerate inside a bonfire."

"It's not just that. I'm also afraid for Rose," Clara said. "If they've made her into some kind of puppet for them and keeping her from getting to you to warn you about this reality bomb."

"It can cause a paradox, yes," the Doctor said. "Then the Sisterhood won't have to worry because the universe will implode."

"Ten years though," Clara said, shaking her head. "How old was she when you found her. She doesn't look that old unless she's one of those people that looks younger than they really are."

"She started traveling with me when she was nineteen and she found me again when she was twenty two."

"So, thirty two then," Clara said. "You can still look like you're in your twenties at that age."

"But the Sisterhood said that the Bad Wolf keeps her young," the Doctor pointed out.

"Do you believe that?"

"Dunno but I'm going to find out. I want to know what happened from the start of it and what they did to Rose. And I'm still serious about burning them at the stake if this is irreversible. So they better hope that it's not."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Forgive me, High Priestess, for allowing that brute to assault you like that," Ortha said as she and Rose walked back to Rose's bedchamber. "I shall have him executed at once."

"No, wait, just…spare him for the moment," Rose said, holding up her hand.

"But he has committed a grave offense. He has laid hands upon you. No man can lay hands upon…"

"Am I not the High Priestess?" Rose said, stopping and turning to her.

"You are the High Priestess," Ortha said, bowing low.

"Then I command that the man be spared for the moment. I wish to find out what he knows about me. Then when his usefulness is gone, he will be executed."

"And how will we find out what he knows, High Priestess?"

Rose thought about that for a moment. What Ortha didn't know was the Doctor's consciousness was slowly chipping away at the barrier around her memories and those memories were slowly beginning to leak out. She didn't quite remember everything about the Doctor but she knew enough to know that he could not be put to death. And now that she had some awareness of him, she was also aware that the Sisterhood would do everything in their power to carry out the execution. She had to delay them so the Doctor could escape.

"Bring him to the Interrogation Room and strap him into the chair. I will speak to him privately," Rose said.

"You wish to be alone with him?" Ortha said in disbelief.

"Yes. He will be restrained. He cannot harm me. I can call for help if I need it."

She could see Ortha was suspicious of this. Normally, she traveled with at least one other person and before she never questioned it but now she was beginning to wonder if they were keeping track of her and worrying that she would leave them someday. She was about to tell Ortha that she was High Priestess and she must be obeyed but Ortha nodded and bowed.

"It is done, High Priestess," she said.

"Excellent. Bring the Doctor to the Interrogation Room at once."

Ortha bowed and hurried away while Rose breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to her bedchamber.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Oh come on, I'm sure Danny wouldn't be embarrassed if you saw him doing this," the Doctor said over his shoulder as he urinated into the hole while Clara stood with her back to him, mortified. "I do have to use the loo, Clara, and I'm guessing you'd probably be even more embarrassed if I wet myself. So be an adult about all of this."

"I can be an adult, doesn't mean I have to watch," Clara said. "Just tell me when you're done."

"Yes, Boss," the Doctor said as he finished peeing.

Suddenly, they heard someone unlocking the door. The Doctor gasped and bent over trying to pull his pants and trousers back up but he only managed to grab hold when the door opened and the Sisterhood entered. They stopped and Clara managed a quick glance at the Doctor who was essentially mooning the women before she looked away and giggled.

"What now?" the Doctor said, straightening up and pulling his underwear and trousers up quickly.

"The High Priestess wishes to interrogate you," Mira said. "You will come with us."

"Can it wait a wee moment while I finish this?" the Doctor said as he zipped up his fly.

He finished and turned to them.

"Okay, I'm finished. Now where are we going?" he said to them.

"The High Priestess wishes to speak to you privately. However, you will be restrained since you attacked her earlier," Mira said.

"Oh? Privately, is it?" the Doctor said, sharing a glance with Clara. "Okay, take me to her then. I'm all yours. But…she's still off limits to you lot," the Doctor said, pointing to Clara.

"The female will remain unharmed unless you harm the priestess again," Mira said.

"I'm gonna be restrained, aren't I? What d'ya think I'm gonna do, bite her bum when she has her back turned?"

"The High Priestess…"

"Is not to be harmed in any way. Yeah, yeah, I got that. Just go, alright!" the Doctor said.

He walked into the midst of the women and with one last look at Clara, walked out of the room with them.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The Doctor was strapped into a stone chair that was sat in the middle of a stone room. Besides the chair that was bolted to the floor there were two racks filled with weapons and torture implements on the right side of the wall.

"Love thy neighbor?" the Doctor said, gesturing to the racks as the Sisterhood urged him to sit in the chair.

The chair had leather straps attached to it and the Doctor sat in the chair calmly, letting the women strap him into it. When they were done and his legs, arms and torso were secured, they left him sitting there while everyone filed out of the room.

"Yes, this is nice," the Doctor said to himself as he sat in the chair. "Strapped into a chair by nutters, waiting for my doom to come. Could I get a cup of tea at least?" he yelled at the door.

There was a tiny barred window in the door, similar to the one on the door to his cell but no one came to door or looked through the window. The Doctor sighed.

"GET ON WITH IT INSTEAD OF MAKING ME WAIT!" he yelled.

There was no response and the Doctor sighed again. But five minutes later, the door did open and the Doctor tensed when Rose entered the room alone. She was wearing no fancy headdress and no makeup and the Doctor was amazed at how little she had aged. Once again, feelings he'd thought he had surprised made their way to the surface and his hearts beat faster at the sight of her leaning in to look at him. She was examining him closely, a frown on her face that only added to her beauty, the Doctor thought as he gazed back at her.

"Are you really the Doctor?" she finally said after a few minutes of silence.

"Yes, I'm really the Doctor," the Doctor said.

His hearts raced even more when Rose ran her fingers briefly through his hair and then let her fingers glide down his left cheek.

"You're older now," she said softly.

"I noticed," the Doctor said.

Her finger traced his left eyebrow.

"But your eyes are the same, I can see that now. I can see you inside your eyes," she said to him softly.

"And you seem to be over their influence," the Doctor said just as softly.

"Yes. Not entirely but I remember enough to know who you are now. That was a risky move though. They want you dead now," Rose said.

"I figured that," the Doctor said.

"However, they listen to me so I suppose I'm the only one now who can keep you and your friend from dying."

"Clara, her name is Clara."

"Clara," Rose said nodding. "They want her to join the Sisterhood."

"Again, not a surprise," the Doctor said.

"I don't know if I can stop them but I could suggest she become my acolyte and train under me. That's what they did to me. That way I can keep her safe."

"And me?" the Doctor said.

"They're interested in you, Doctor. I might be able to keep you alive by suggesting that you can be an advisor of sorts and tell us what you know."

"And you think they'd listen to you?"

"I'm the High Priestess," Rose said. "They don't know what's happened. They still think I'm under their control. I know you and Clara need to escape but this place is well guarded. I tried to escape before they…brainwashed me."

She smiled sadly when she noticed the Doctor tensed up and there was rage in his eyes.

"Wasn't your fault, yeah?" she whispered to him as she leaned in. "I came here searching for you and I made the mistake of trusting them. They promised me they could get in touch with you and made me wait, kept telling me that you were coming and trying to use subtle means to brainwash me. When I finally cottoned on and tried to escape, they forced me to be hypnotized. I stayed that way until you did what you did to me and woke me up. I was aware that you were there and I heard your name but the mind control was too strong."

"You did resist once, I saw it," the Doctor said softly.

Rose nodded.

"I tried to fight but it was too strong at the time. But now…it's fading but that puts us all in danger. If they find out I'm not under their influence, they'll put all of us to death. That's why you and Clara need to pretend, at least for awhile. Let down their guards enough that they won't be watching you every minute. I'll tell the Sisterhood to spare your life and Clara's and ask that you have a chip put on you. That's what they did to me once I tried to resist them. The chip could be disabled, I know you could do it. But it's the only way they'll trust you enough to leave the two of you alone. But that will come in time. For the moment, you and Clara will have to stay close to me as if I'm training you. And Clara will have to dress like this," she added, tugging at her dress.

"She'll have something to say about that and wearing the makeup but if it buys us time, she'll do it," the Doctor said. "As for you, you will find the Doctor but not me. You need to find my tenth self, the one you were with before. I can help you get back on the right track but we can't wait forever. Time is trying to fix itself which is why so far the universe is stable but it won't last."

"I understand. I will do everything I can to put the Sisterhood at ease and leave you and Clara alone but I have to take a bit of time to do it, can't arouse their suspicions or they'll put me back under the brainwashing."

"I understand," the Doctor said.

"I'll speak to Ortha and calm her down, she's the one you pushed to the floor," Rose said softly.

"She was in my way," the Doctor said.

He smiled when Rose chuckled at that.

"Yeah, I see some things haven't changed," she said, rolling her eyes. "You're not ginger either."

"You had to say that as well? You really know how to rub it in, don't ya, Tyler?" the Doctor teased gently.

Rose smiled at that and laid her hand against his cheek. She looked back at the door for a moment before leaning in and kissing the Doctor gently on the lips. The Doctor resisted for a moment before surrendering to his inner desires and returning the kiss. They deepened the kiss and the Doctor felt like his head was swimming. Despite his admonition to Clara that he was strictly hands off, he couldn't help but feel love for Rose, the same sort of love that he had for River and he found himself hungering for her and feeling angry that he would have to return her to her proper timeline and push her away from him again. He silently cursed the universe that once again he would be left bereft because of his responsibility to the universe and that old familiar urge to become the Time Lord Victorious bubbled up in his psyche almost as quickly as he jammed it back down again.

Rose finally ended the kiss and leaned back, their eyes locked as she stroked his cheek.

"I won't let them hurt you, I promise," she said to him.

He was reminded of the Bad Wolf and that day on the Gamestation.

I want you safe, my Doctor, protected from the false god.

"Rose, the Bad Wolf. They think you still possess it," the Doctor said softly to her.

"I know. I want to speak to you about that but we better do it another time. They're already worried that I'm in here by myself with you," Rose said. "But don't worry. You'll be safe. Just trust me."

The Doctor nodded and Rose quickly kissed his lips again and his hearts raced when she whispered "I love you, no matter what you look like," into his ear before she straightened up. The Doctor could tell that she was forcing herself to turn and walk away from him and he felt the same sort of longing for her to stay with him as he watched her walk to the door and open it. He waited until she was gone before he slumped as much as the restraints would allow and let a ragged breath escape from his mouth.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

After what seemed like ages, the door opened again and Mira came inside with several women. They were angry and the Doctor guessed that Rose had instructed them to take him back to his cell and not harm him. He resisted the urge to gloat and acted like he didn't know what was going on.

"So am I to be burned at the stake then?" the Doctor said, feigning ignorance.

"The High Priestess has further need of you and your friend," Mira said as she and the others unstrapped him.

"Does she now? In what capacity am I to be of further need?"

"You and the female will be trained in our ways. We have need of your knowledge of time and space and your friend cannot remain here without becoming a part of the Sisterhood. The High Priestess has agreed to teach her and you will assist her by providing her with information."

"And if I resist?" the Doctor said, playing his part to avoid suspicion.

"Then you will be put to death along with the female," Mira said.

"After consulting with the High Priestess of course," the Doctor said.

Mira said nothing and the Doctor suspicions were confirmed. That Rose was a puppet ruler for these people and if they didn't agree with her ruling, they would simply do whatever they wanted. He hoped that Rose wasn't so naive that she wouldn't see that they might not ever let their guard down around him or Clara, especially since Ortha knew his identity. But despite that, he was confident that he could formulate a plan that would free them all and get Rose back to her proper timeline.

Once he was freed from the chair, he let the Sisterhood walk him back to the cell. When the door opened, his eyes widened when he noticed Clara wasn't there and he spun around to face his captors.

"WHERE IS SHE?" the Doctor asked as he pointed at the empty cell.

"She is with the High Priestess at the moment," Mira said. "She is beginning her training."

Inwardly, the Doctor relaxed at that but he kept up appearances and snarled at them when he told them that Clara better not be harmed in any way. He could tell that Mira wanted to roll her eyes at that but she remained her usual passive self and they used their blasters to urge him towards the back wall before they filed out and locked the door behind them.

"Hope you know what you're doing, Rose," the Doctor muttered softly before he walked to the side wall and sat down.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, Clara was with Rose inside a cupboard filled with dresses and regalia as they tried to find one in her size. Rose had told Ortha to leave them alone and wait outside the closed door, something that didn't sit well with her from Clara's perspective. The room was another stone room that had racks of dresses and shelves of headgear with shoes lined up neatly under the dresses, all black leather shoes Clara noticed. The makeup wasn't here but Clara figured they had a bathroom or dressing room for that sort of thing. Rose told her that everyone received two pairs of dresses and shoes and one headdress and only the dresses and shoes could be worn day in and day out. The headgear was for rituals and special occasions or to receive visitors. The dresses weren't grouped by size so they were trying to find one that looked like it would fit her along with the shoes.

"I have another reason for doing this," Rose said softly as she chose a dress from the rack.

"And that reason is?" Clara said softly.

"I love meeting other people who traveled with the Doctor," Rose said. "I would love to hear about some of your adventures with him."

"And some of yours as well," Clara said.

She made a face when Rose put the dress against her body to see if it was short enough.

"This is ugly," Clara said.

"Yes and hot and sweaty but if you want to live while you're here, you have to wear it and pretend," Rose said.

"What about the Doctor?" Clara said softly.

"I told him that me and the Sisterhood have need of him and his vast knowledge."

"And you think they'll leave us alone?"

Rose shook her head.

"Not entirely and probably not for long but I'm trying to buy us time so we can get out of here," Rose said softly as she leaned in close to Clara. "I know they're not fools but hopefully I can convince them I'm still under their control while we're here. That's why we need to hurry. Ortha is already angry that I let the Doctor live after he pushed her to the floor. They've killed people for less than that. So just put that on and put the shoes on and I'll find a hat for you."

"What about the zombie makeup?" Clara asked.

"Unfortunately, you have to wear that as well," Rose said with a sympathetic look. "I have to wear it also which is why I need to put it back on. I took it off to show the Doctor that I wasn't under their control but they haven't said anything yet since I'm the High Priestess. But everything I do that isn't in character arouses their suspicions and you have to act subservient as well."

"Ugh," Clara said, making a face.

"Yeah, tell me about it. I'm not the subservient type either. Still, it's nice to have someone here who isn't a complete nutter."

"I agree," Clara said, smiling.

After they finished dressing, Rose left Clara's outfit hidden in a corner of the cupboard where no one could see it, explaining that they made her burn her own clothes after forcing her to wear the outfit. She quickly whispered to Clara a few pointers on how to act around her and Clara nodded before Rose opened the door. Clara stayed behind Rose, holding her headdress in her hands, her head slightly bowed but she could still see the Ortha was a bit peeved at having to wait for them. They were inside a large room with several velvet lined chairs against the walls, the red matching the color of the dresses. There was nothing else inside the room besides the chairs and Clara guessed it was some sort of waiting room as she closed the door behind her at Rose's bidding. Rose had resumed her posh accent and regal bearing and Ortha fell in beside Clara, eyeing her as they walked side by side behind Rose.

"You have received your instructions from the High Priestess?" Ortha said to her.

"I have received some instructions from her," Clara said, keeping her head slightly bowed and her eyes on Rose's feet as they walked.

"And you will obey the High Priestess?"

"I don't believe I have a choice," Clara dared to say, figuring that at the moment she would still be indignant about being made to be a member of the cult and it would be a more realistic response than just answering yes.

"We would like you to have a choice," Ortha said pompously.

Clara resisted the urge to roll her eyes and kept them focused on Rose's feet.

"Being a part of the Sisterhood is an honor and a privilege," Ortha said, continuing her pompous lecture as they walked along a corridor. "Women hold the true power in the universe, men are nothing but tools to be used when needed."

Clara resisted the urge to smile at that when she wondered what the Doctor would have to say about that.

"In time, you will see that we are right and the Sisterhood is where you belong," Ortha said.

_Yeah, after you brainwash me the way you brainwashed Rose,_ Clara thought as she stared at Rose's feet.

Rose led them into a room that had several more tapestries on the walls. In the center of the room was a long vanity with a long mirror that was lit by tiny light bulbs. There was another vanity back to back with it and each vanity had about ten chairs along the length of it with the same red velvet as before. On the white tables were makeup kits, brushes and sponges. Rose told Clara to sit down and she sat at the first chair at the vanity closest to the door and put her headdress in her lap. Rose pulled out the chair beside Clara, sat down and instructed Clara to stay still while she applied the makeup. The makeup was greasepaint which felt gross on her skin but Ortha was sitting on the other side of Rose, watching her like a hawk so Clara allowed Rose to apply the makeup.

"Why do we have to wear the makeup" Clara asked when Rose paused to put more of the white greasepaint onto a sponge.

"The white symbolizes the purity within us, the red symbolizes the fire of our passion and conviction," Ortha said.

Rose caught Clara's eye and Clara had to fight not to laugh when she rolled her eyes at that before applying more of the makeup to her face. When she was finished with Clara, she watched while Rose applied her own makeup. When they were finished, Rose told Clara to follow her and Clara waited until she had risen before she and Ortha stood up and resumed their places behind Rose as they walked out of the room.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

The Doctor stood up when he heard the door unlocking and waited until the door opened. Ortha entered first with a laser blaster pointed at him and then Rose and Clara entered. The Doctor stared hard at Clara, trying not to laugh. Clara had red painted all around her eyes while Rose only had red dots on her face. He could tell Clara was mortified as she stared at the floor and kept her gaze away from his face. He cleared his throat to force back the laughter and looked at Ortha.

"So…you made her one of you," the Doctor said, gesturing to Clara. "So what, am I going to look like a demented badger as well?"

He glanced at Clara and saw her biting her lip at that, trying not to laugh. He saw Rose's jaw tightened as she stared at him passively and knew she was trying not to laugh either.

"You will have a chip put inside of you as will your companion," Ortha said, nodding to Clara. "You will be given a small measure of freedom…for the moment but you will be watched and if you dare to harm the High Priestess or take her away or if you or your companion flees, we will track you down and you will be put to death. However, if you will do as you are told and obey the Sisterhood, you will be given more freedoms."

"And Clara" the Doctor said, nodding at his friend. "Will she be given more freedoms as well?"

"Clara will be under the tutelage of the High Priestess," Ortha said. "How much freedom she has will be left up to her."

"And I'm supposed to give you knowledge in return for my life?" the Doctor said.

"That is the bargain," Ortha said.

"And what sort of knowledge do you wish to have?" the Doctor said.

"We are interested in many things," Rose said, feigning a dull tone of voice.

"Such as?" the Doctor said.

The Doctor smirked as they stared at one another and he could tell that Rose was still trying not to laugh and keep her passive demeanor. He knew he shouldn't do it but he couldn't help it. The teasing and banter used to be the norm for them in any situation.

"The knowledge of time travel," Rose finally said.

The Doctor glanced at Ortha and held back a snort when he noticed she was nodding gleefully at that.

"So…you want me to build you a TARDIS then?" the Doctor said. "Because you can't have mine."

"You will give us whatever you require or you will be destroyed," Ortha said.

The Doctor couldn't help himself as he walked over to her.

"Listen here," he snarled at her. "I saved you lot from Morbius and I saved your sacred flame from going out. I will cooperate but I will not be ordered about like a dog. I'll give you knowledge but I choose what the knowledge will be. Clara and I will not be slaves here."

"No one said you were slaves," Ortha said angrily.

Rose looked away from Ortha and bit her lip when the Doctor gave Ortha a withering look.

"Whatever you call this forced stay then," he said. "I call it enslavement but let's not split hairs. I will not harm the High Priestess, I give you my word."

"You attacked her earlier as well as me."

"I was checking to make sure you lot didn't harm her mind and you didn't, so I'm satisfied," the Doctor said. "I apologize to you and to the High Priestess. I wish to cooperate now but I won't be bullied into giving up information or you won't get any at all. And if Clara is in any way abused by you lot, the deal is also off."

"She will not be harmed as…"

"As long as she obeys, yeah, I got that," the Doctor said annoyed. "I do have a brain and can remember things even if I do look old. I think Clara gets it as well. So can we move along or did you just come to show off Clara's badger look to me?"

He smiled when Clara finally let out a giggle at that. He glanced at Rose and noticed that her jaw was clenched even tighter in her effort not to laugh. He realized he better quit before she really did laugh and they realized that she wasn't hypnotized any more. So he moved on and changed the subject.

"So…why are you here then?" he said to Ortha.

"It is time to eat. The High Priestess wishes you to join us unless you intend to make trouble?"

The Doctor walked over to Rose. He noticed a wary look in her eyes, even though she kept her passive expression and he figured she was wondering what he was going to do now to try to get her to laugh. But instead, he knelt down on one knee before her.

"High Priestess, I offer myself to you as your servant," he said, bowing his head. "I promise I will not harm you or the Sisterhood if you will allow me to serve you."

He kept his head bowed but he smiled when Rose laid her hand on the back of his head.

"I allow it," Rose said. "Arise, Doctor."

She took her hand away and the Doctor stood up. He looked at Rose. She still had the passive expression but he could see the familiar loving look in her eyes and he had to fight not to take her in his arms. He looked at Ortha. He sensed she wasn't entirely convinced but she nodded in agreement.

"Now, perhaps we should eat?" Rose said to Ortha.

"As you wish, High Priestess," Ortha said, bowing.

"Follow me," Rose said to the Doctor.

The Doctor stepped over beside Clara.

"Wow, never thought I'd see the day when you'd be on your knees offering to be a servant," Clara muttered to him as Ortha followed Rose.

"Keep talking, Clara, and you'll be bowing in front of me next," the Doctor muttered back.

Clara sniggered softly at that and squeezed the Doctor's hand, letting it go before the two of them followed Ortha and Rose out into the passageway.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

The Dining Hall was the biggest room yet. It was about one hundred feet long and fifty feet wide. More tapestries hung on the walls but these depicted individual members of the Sisterhood. In the middle of a room was a long wooden banquet table with seating for fifty. To the Doctor's surprise, the cutlery and dishes all appeared to be made of solid gold and the goblets were made of crystal. The wooden chairs were wood and high backed with red velvet lining except for the chair at the head of the table which was high back, solid gold and lined with red velvet. At the back of the room was a stage with a long dias and two doors on either side that led offstage somewhere. Everyone waited until Rose was standing in front of her chair before they walked to their own. Rose motioned for the Doctor to sit directly to her left but when Clara tried to stand at the chair beside his, Ortha came up to her with a look of fury on her face.

"What do you want?" Clara said while the Doctor eyed Ortha.

"Novices sit at the end of the table," Ortha said, pointing to the end of the long table. "We sit according to rank so you must sit at the end and be served last."

"Yeah but I'm in training," Clara said, gesturing to Rose.

"That does not mean you sit near the High Priestess. You may train with her but you must earn your place. Now go and sit at the end of the table."

"Do it, Clara," the Doctor said.

Clara gave him and Ortha a sour look before walking to the other end of the table. Ortha walked around the front of the table and stood beside her chair directly to Rose's right.

"THE LAST SEAT ON THE LEFT IS YOURS," Ortha yelled at Clara.

"Yeah, blow it out your bum, you old biddy," Clara muttered to herself as she walked away.

She stopped and looked at the seat. Unlike the other seats, the velvet lining was nearly gone and the chair looked old and banged up. Sighing, Clara stepped in front of it, making a mental note to go to a nice restaurant with Danny to make up for this after they got back to London. Then to her frustration, the women began to do their chanting and swaying and pawing the air again. She leaned up to the look at the Doctor but the Doctor was watching Rose with a bemused expression on her face since she was leading it.

Rose, on the other hand, was trying not to laugh since she could see the Doctor was eyeing her intently while she chanted and performed the blessing ritual before eating. Now that she was no longer hypnotized, it was harder to remember the words and motions but she was still able to give a convincing performance. Until…

"Work it, Rose, come on, more energy," the Doctor said to her. "Flare those fingertips, raise that chin. Be dramatic and…"

Rose had to catch herself and keep from laughing when Ortha elbowed the Doctor hard in the gut and glared at him as he rubbed the spot and glowered at her in return.

"Oh like she was listening to me," the Doctor said to Ortha which made Rose fight to keep going and not burst out laughing.

He rolled his eyes when Ortha resumed her chanting and swaying and mimed shooting himself in the head while Rose tried to keep her composure. Finally, the ritual was over. Everyone waited until Rose sat down before they sat at their seats.

Then to the Doctor's surprise, men started walking into the room carrying large golden bowls filled with food and golden pitchers filled with wine. All of the men were dressed in long black robes, all had been shaved bald and all of them had a dull look in their eyes. The Doctor heard the sound of a door opening and he turned his head and watched four men walking onto the stage carrying musical instruments and chairs.

"What is this?" the Doctor said to Rose as the men walked to the front of the table and served Rose.

"These are the servants," Ortha said to him, giving him a pointed look that the Doctor took to mean that he should shut up or he'd become one too.

"So this is what happens to the men who come here?" the Doctor said to her as the men ladled a brown bean stew onto Rose's plate and filled her goblet with wine.

"Men cannot be part of the Sisterhood so those men who end up here are put to work. All must serve the High Priestess in some way."

The Doctor was livid but he kept his tongue, knowing that it was only through Rose's intervention that he was allowed to be here at all. The servants continued to serve the women and the Doctor, ladling the bean stew onto their plates and pouring wine into the goblets. The men gave everyone a generous portion but when they got to Clara, there was only a little bit left and Clara watched, aghast, as they ladled about four mouthfuls of stew onto the plate and a tiny bit of wine into her goblet.

"Oi, is there more coming?"Clara said as the servers filed out of the room with the empty bowls and pitchers.

"No, you must earn the right to have more food as you advance upwards," Ortha said smugly.

"But the Doctor is new here," Clara said.

"He is a guest," Ortha said, pointing to him.

"So am I."

"No. you are a novice. You are one of us now so you will follow the rules and that means the end of the table."

"Oh, go choke on your beans, you old biddy," Clara muttered as she looked at her plate.

Everyone began to eat quietly, except for the Doctor who sat and stared down at his plate with disgust. The stew seemed to consist of pinto beans, some green stuff that looked like parsley and onion bits in brown gravy. He looked at Rose who was calmly eating her meal but when he looked at her closely, he did notice she was grimacing from time to time. He looked at Ortha and waved his hand to get her attention.

"Is this all?" he said to Ortha.

Ortha was sipping her wine. She lowered the goblet and glared at him as she swallowed what was in her mouth.

"It is sufficient for our nutritional needs," she said. "Are you finding fault with it?"

"Yeah, where's the bloody meat in it?"

"We do not eat meat, we are vegetarians. We believe in the sanctity of all life," Ortha said pompously.

"Seriously?" the Doctor said. "You lot nearly burned me at the stake once and you can say that with a straight face. Not to mention all the times you shot down spaceships…"

"SILENCE IS PREFERRED AT THIS TABLE!" Ortha yelled.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and looked at Clara. Clara wasn't eating her beans but she was taking a sip of her wine. The moment she did though, she nearly gagged and spit it back out."

"Oh God, this is horrible," he heard her saying softly as she sat the goblet back down.

The Doctor took an experimental sip of his wine and made a face as he spat it back out in the glass. Ortha stopped eating and glared at him again while Rose took a sip of wine to hide her bemused expression.

"And is the beverage not to your liking?" Ortha said, sarcasm dripping from her lips.

"High Priestess, you humble servant requests a burger, some chips and some tea. Can I have that?" the Doctor said to Rose.

Ortha was about to tell him to shut up when Rose, finally unable to hold it back, laughed at that. The Doctor smirked at Ortha, knowing she was in a quandary since all this time she kept telling them that Rose was a member of the Sisterhood of her own free will and they had done nothing to her. However, he could tell that her laughter was a signal that she wasn't under their influence or at least it was slipping. The Doctor decided that they couldn't keep this ruse up forever. The Sisterhood weren't fools, at least Ortha wasn't so he met her accusing gaze calmly.

"What's the matter, Puppet Master. The Puppet turned into a real girl again?" he said to her.

"I knew it!" Ortha screeched, slamming her hand down on the table and making the other women gasp. "You did something to her when you pushed me aside!"

"Yes, I freed my friend from your evil hypnotic thrall," the Doctor said. "And now that you know the truth, she will be allowed to leave here!"

"No, she's one of us now!" Mira said as she rose from her seat two down from Ortha.

"No, I'm really not," Rose said.

"Then you are a fraud!" Mira said, pointing to her. "You and these interlopers must be put to death."

"Silence!" Ortha said to her. "Sit down!"

The Doctor grinned when Mira sat down and glared at him.

"Higher rank," the Doctor said, pointing to Ortha. "But…this is the highest rank of all," he added, pointing to Rose. "She has the final say around here."

"She is not in her right mind any longer," Ortha said.

"No," the Doctor said, rising and leaning over the table at her. "She wasn't in her right mind when you lot hypnotized and brainwashed her. This woman came to you for help. She was looking for me but no, you had to force her to join your order or else. This is why I'm glad the Pythia was overthrown on Gallifrey. This is the sort of rubbish that Rassilon got rid of."

"Rassilon was a fool," Ortha said. "A fool who lacked faith and lacked vision. He was like many men, irrational and misogynistic."

"He brought stability and order to Gallifrey," the Doctor said. "He didn't go around burning people at the stake if they didn't believe in his silly little religion."

"No. He and his fellow Time Lords committed genocide and obliterated every species they saw as a threat to their existence."

"And of course, you lot are completely peace loving, that's why you shoot down spaceships and enslave and burn the people who survive the crash. This woman has a destiny that doesn't involve her getting tarted up and performing nonsensical, ritualistic garbage. You are interfering with this woman's timeline and that interference ends today!"

The room was now completely silent and all eyes were on the Doctor. Even the musicians who had been sitting on the dais playing their instruments feel silent and stared at him with awe, amazed that a man was standing up to the Sisterhood without fear for his life. The Doctor glanced at them.

"Rose, Clara and all the men here are free to go," the Doctor said to her. "Come to think of it, any woman who was forced to join this order is free to go."

"You have no authority here," Ortha said, rising from her chair.

"I rescued your sacred flame and stopped it from going out! I have more authority here than you have!" the Doctor roared at her. "If it wasn't for me, the flame would be extinguished and Morbius would still be alive. I am superior to you whether you like it or not!"

Ortha jerked her head over towards the women when she heard some of them murmuring their agreement with that. Mira shook her head and mumbled "Traitors" at the women which got the Doctor's attention.

"You and you," the Doctor said, pointing to Ortha and Mira, "I want to have a little chat with you."

"Seize them!" Rose said to the other women, pointing to Ortha and Mira.

To the Doctor's relief, the other women ran towards Ortha and Mira and took hold of them while the two women yelled at them to let go. The Doctor looked at the men on the stage and beckoned to them.

"It's okay, you can come off there now," he said to them.

The men abandoned their musical instruments and walked off the stage towards the Doctor.

"Tell the other men what's happening but no riots or killing anyone," he said to the men. "I know they want revenge but there are ways to get it without slaughtering everyone. Alright?"

The men nodded. They started to walk away but one young man leaned over and spat in Ortha's face before he joined the others. The Doctor smiled approvingly at that and then turned his attention back to Ortha.

"So…let's go and have a chat, shall we?" he said to them.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

After Ortha and Mira were put inside the Doctor's old cell, Rose and Clara went to a bathroom to get the makeup off their faces. Rose let Clara take off her makeup while she went back to the cupboard and retrieved her clothes.

"Here you are, good as new," Rose said, laying them on the bathroom counter beside the sink while Clara used a flannel to take off her makeup.

"Thanks," Clara said, glancing at them when the flannel was down past her eyes. "This makeup is a nightmare."

"Here," Rose said as she opened a drawer under the counter and pulled out a small ceramic tub with a lid on it. "Put this on the makeup and then try wiping it off."

Clara took the lid off. There was some white cream inside it similar to cold cream. Clara thanked Rose, dipped her fingers into it and began spreading it onto her face. Clara finished spreading the cream over his face and then used the flannel and was delighted when the makeup came off easily.

"I suppose this is it then," Rose said sadly.

Clara looked at her. Rose was spreading the cream on her face. She had a sad expression and Clara's heart ached for her.

"I have to go back to where I'm s'posed to be," Rose said to her as she applied the cream. "And I can see I'm not with you and the Doctor so apparently my plan to stay with him doesn't work."

"I'm sorry," Clara said as she wet the flannel and used more of the cream. "He never spoke of you."

"Doesn't surprise me. He didn't tell me about Sarah Jane either. A friend he traveled with before me," she added when she saw Clara's questioning look. "I really do have to find him….well, my Doctor. The stars are going out but I was hoping…it just isn't meant to be between us, I s'pose," she said, shaking her head. "I told him once that nothing would ever come between us but it seems like God or the universe or somebody gets a sick thrill out of proving me wrong."

"Well, the Doctor before him was a lot nicer than he is now. This one is a bit crabby and likes to say mean things at times and he has a bit of a temper."

"Sounds like my first Doctor," Rose said. "The one before this one…was his hair sticking up and was he wearing pinstripes suits and trainers and ties."

"No, his hair was floppy and he wore bow ties and a Victorian outfit."

"Don't know that one," Rose said.

Clara put her flannel down and reached into the pocket of her jeans and took out a small wallet. She opened it up, found a photo of her and the Eleventh Doctor and took it out of the plastic sleeve. She handed it to Rose.

"Wow, he was well fit," Rose said. "Bit of a chin though."

"Tell me about it," Clara said.

"Where the hell are his eyebrows?" Rose said, holding the photo closer to her face.

Clara chuckled.

"He has him. They're very light. He called them delicate."

"Well, he certainly has them now," Rose said, handing the photo back to her. "Wish I could show you my Doctor. But the bastards took my clothes and the one photo I had of him and burned them."

"I've seen him actually. It's a long story but I met him when I traveling with Chin Doctor," Clara said. "He's also well fit."

"This Doctor. Grumpy Doctor. He looks after you well enough?" Rose said as she began to wipe the makeup off her face.

"He does but…he's hard to get along with at times and I was closer to Chin Doctor than I was with him. I used to hug Chin Doctor a lot but that stopped with him. He wants no hugging. He's not the touchy feely sort."

"Oh, I did touch him a bit when he was restrained and I kissed him," Rose said sheepishly. "He didn't object but then he couldn't get away. My first Doctor was a bit like that but I kept working with him and he became a nicer person. God, I make him sound like a dog I trained," Rose said while Clara chuckled.

"He said you were an ex," Clara said, deciding not to tell her about River in case it would hurt her feelings.

She winced at the anguished look on Rose's face but Rose quickly retained her composure and nodded.

"Like I said, I'm not with you now so I suppose by now I am an "Ex"," she said. "Are you and he…well, were you and he…"

"I didn't consider myself to be but when he said he wasn't my boyfriend and I told him I never thought he was, he said that wasn't my mistake so maybe in his mind…"

"I think he needs people," Rose said. "Grumpy Doctor might say he's hands off and no kissing and hugging and all that but I'm willing to bet he still needs you there. He's a mystery, that one. Just when you think you know him…"

Clara nodded at the unfinished part of her sentence.

"But I would stay with him, Clara. He does need someone there to help him and guide him at times."

Clara nodded.

"Chin Doctor called me from the past after he regenerated and told me basically the same thing. Asked me to stay with him because I really did feel like leaving him. I'm used to him now but he's very different from the man he was."

"So was my Doctor and it took awhile to get used to him and then I loved him even more deeply than before. Perhaps this Doctor will be less grumpy in future and want your hugs again. Just give him time."

"And is that part of my training then?" Clara teased.

Rose giggled.

"Yes, this is coming from the High Priestess, all this talk about staying with him. That's an order."

Clara bowed and then did the crossed wrist pose while Rose laughed.

"Seriously, what does this mean, this here…" Clara said, waggling her fingers as she kept her wrists crossed.

"They say it symbolizes the Eternal Flame and by imitating it in ritual, we invoke the power of its…flammability or something daft like that."

Clara and Rose giggled at that and finished taking off their makeup while they chatted amiably.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

When they finished taking off the makeup and Clara had put her civilian clothes back on, the two companions walked off in search of the Doctor. They didn't have to look far because they could hear him speaking to the slaves in the banquet hall while the men yelled out that all the women needed to be put to death for their actions.

Clara winced the moment they entered and all eyes turned to Rose.

"There she is, kill her!" a man said, jabbing his finger at Rose.

"No!" the Doctor yelled when some of the men started to run towards her.

The men stopped in their tracks at the power and authority in the Doctor's voice.

"She was a slave as well," the Doctor said, walking to the front of the group. "As I tried to explain, the ringleader is her advisor, Ortha, and quite possibly Mira. The other women were most likely brainwashed or forced to join or die. Same as you lot. So killing her or indeed, killing anyone, won't help fix what's been done here. Now I can take you lot back to where you came from in my ship. And I assure you that the ringleaders of this cult will be brought to justice but there will be no slaughter of anyone. Is that understood?"

Clara noticed a few men looked dubious and a few of them were glaring at Rose but they nodded and promised not to kill anyone or exact revenge in any way. The Doctor walked over to Clara and Rose and smiled.

"Finally, you don't look like badgers," he said.

"Badgers don't have white faces and red around the eyes," Clara said.

"Okay, fine, you lot look like red pandas then," the Doctor said, rolling his eyes while the women giggled.

"Doctor, can I speak to you in private for a moment?" Rose said when everyone sobered up.

The Doctor nodded and looked at Clara.

"Can you handle the situation, Boss?" he said to her.

"Will there be a revolt?" Clara said.

"Well, if there is…you'll probably tell everyone to shut it and they'll stop," the Doctor said.

"Okay, good enough," Clara said. "Carry on then."

"Aye, aye, Boss Lady," the Doctor said with a salute. "Rose, lead on."

Rose nodded and the Doctor followed her out of the room. He put his hands in his pockets and casually walked behind her while Rose led him to a door near the end of the passageway. She unlocked it with a key around her neck and took a torch from a nearby holder. The Doctor frowned, curious about where she was going but saying nothing as he followed her inside. The walls turned to dirt as they went downwards and became narrow to the point that there were only several inches on either side of the Doctor as he walked down. There were metal holders for torches embedded in the tightly packed dirt walls but none held any torches. Still, they continued to walk downwards for about five minutes until a large room opened up before them and the Doctor's mouth dropped open when he saw a pile of gold, jewels and other valuables that rose from the floor to the twenty foot ceiling. Everything was piled together as if someone just came down and casually tossed the next thing in with the others. The Doctor couldn't see the back of the wall in the dim torchlight but he sensed there was more than met the eye here.

"Pious and humble, eh?" he said as he took it all in.

In this room, there were unlit torches in the holders and Rose lit a few of them, illuminating the room even more. Some of the gems sparkled in the firelight and the Doctor knelt down to pick up a golden goblet that was encrusted with rubies.

"They stole all this from the spaceships," Rose said, putting her torch in an empty holder.

"I didn't think they made the nice cutlery and dishes themselves," the Doctor said as he laid the goblet down. "So there was more to this than just protecting their flame."

"There's more," Rose said. "They want to bring back the rule of the Pythia and they wanted me to help them do it."

"How?"

"The Bad Wolf."

The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"Rose, I took that out of you ages ago," he said.

"But that's just it. I don't think you did…not completely anyway."

"How'd you mean?"

"It's hard to explain but ever since that day, I've felt different inside, like something lives in me. And I have psychic dreams or dreams about white wolves that talk to me and I think I stopped aging."

"And you've experienced all this since that day on the Gamestation. Rose, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I thought I was mental and I was worried that you might think I was mental and tell me to stay home."

"No, I wouldn't have done that and actually, I could have checked to see if your suspicions were correct. So now that you have told me, I can check once we get back inside the TARDIS and…"

He jerked his head towards the door when he heard Clara screaming for him and Rose to run. The Doctor and Rose glanced at each other before they hurried to the door. The Doctor flung it open and she and Rose ran back up the passageway to the door. When they reached the door, they froze and listened and heard chaos and screaming and yelling. Then they heard Ortha yelling for someone to find the Doctor and Rose.

"I think we should have searched Ortha and Mira more thoroughly before we left them," the Doctor said to Rose.

"These dresses have hidden pockets inside them," Rose said nodding. "I should have remembered that. I'm sorry."

"No worries, we'll sort this out and…"

He grunted when someone suddenly flung open the door. The Doctor staggered backwards, bumped into Rose and both of them fell backwards to the floor. The Doctor looked up to see two women aiming their blasters at them.

"ORTHA, I FOUND THEM!" one of the women yelled.

The Doctor gnashed his teeth and sprang up, intending to rush them. Then to his horror, the woman aimed her laser blaster at Rose's exposed leg and shot it. Rose screamed in pain and when the Doctor tried to fight them, more women suddenly appeared and aimed their blasters at his head.

"Surrender or you both will die," the woman with the blaster said.

"I thought you were free of all this," the Doctor said to her.

The woman smirked.

"Ortha knew you did something to the High Priestess. She invited you to the banquet to see if something would happen between you and it did. Guess you can't keep your mouth shut, eh?"

The Doctor growled and tried to run into her but he stopped when the woman beside her fired a laser bolt near Rose's foot. Then the women behind them parted and Ortha and Mira stood behind the two women guarding them.

"You see, Doctor, we're not fools and now because of your stupidity, you and your…whatever she is to you, will help us. Willingly or not, it makes no difference to us but you will be enslaved, both of you."

"And what about Clara?"

"She has escaped through the tunnel to the Ritual Room but she will be caught and she will join you in your enslavement. So pick her up and follow us or we will make her scream in the Interrogation Room and make you watch it. Do it!"

The Doctor glowered at them but she bent down and gathered up Rose in his arms. Holding her close, he walked out of the room into the midst of his captors.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Clara gasped and panted and her lungs felt like they were about to explode but she kept on running. She knew that she was the only hope that the Doctor and Rose had left. She didn't see where they went but once the trap was sprung and the women began to corral the slaves and come after her and her friends, she knew that she had to run back to the TARDIS and make it to safety.

She entered the Ritual Room and kept on running. She was exhausted but she knew she was being followed and she dared not stop to catch her breath for even one second. Luckily, the TARDIS was nearby but it felt like miles and miles to her as she gasped for air. She was nearly to the TARDIS when she heard two women yelling for her to stop.

Not on your life, sister, she thought as she bore down on the TARDIS with every ounce of her being.

She gasped when a laser bolt sizzled past her and she lunged straight at the TARDIS door. She snapped her fingers and was relieved when the door opened and she fell inside. She caught herself as she fell to her knees and willed herself to get up and slam the doors shut, just in time to deflect another laser bolt. She locked the doors and then she collapsed onto the floor, heaving and panting and sucking air into her lungs. After two minutes, there was furious pounding on the TARDIS doors while the women screamed at her to open up.

"Please…" Clara panted out to the TARDIS, "take me somewhere where I can find help. The Doctor and Rose are in trouble…please help me…"

To her relief, the TARDIS started itself and after thirty seconds the pounding turned to startled yells and then all was silent as the TARDIS went into the vortex. Clara lay down on her side on the floor near the door and continued to calm down as the TARDIS flew somewhere in search of help.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

(England, 1562, Tower of London…)

The Tenth Doctor paced around the prison cell while the Eleventh Doctor scratched out a series of numbers into a nearby pillar. The War Doctor was examining the wooden door with his screwdriver and trying to find a way out.

The Eleventh Doctor heard the War Doctor telling them that if he had the exact harmonic frequency to the door, he could disintegrate it. His younger self was telling him it would take years which he was in full agreement with. However, he had a better, more sensible idea than Gramps and he was going to send a message that hopefully Kate would be able to find in the twenty first century.

He heard the War Doctor make a sarcastic comment about helping to pass the timey wimey and he paused for a moment, knowing that was directed at him. Why the old man had to be here today when he was supposed to be time locked was a mystery to him but he wished the geezer would just jump back into the swirling sky vortex and leave him alone.

He resumed his scratching, intending to carry on with his brilliant plan when suddenly he heard a very familiar wheezing sound. He froze in mid scratch and straightened up, turning his head in surprise to find the TARDIS materializing off to the side of the room. Even more astounding was he recognized from the badge that it was his TARDIS. The Tenth Doctor noticed the badge and turned towards him.

"Did you do this?" he said, pointing to the TARDIS as it stopped and powered down.

"No, I had no hand in this," Eleven said, walking over to him.

"That's not my TARDIS. I haven't had the St. John's badge on it for ages. And I know I didn't have it during the Time War."

"It's mine," Eleven said as War Doctor walked up beside them. "But I didn't summon it."

"Your friend then? Clara, was it?" Ten said to him.

"Yes, but how did she get a hold of it? We already proved that you can't go back through the vortex. Still…"

He snapped his fingers. The door opened and he flinched when he saw Clara. She was still lying on the floor, half out of breath and he rushed over to her.

"Clara, are you alright?" he asked her as he knelt down beside her and put his hand on the side of her head.

Clara raised her head up and was shocked to see the Tenth and War Doctors as they came and stood just inside the open door.

"Where am I?" Clara said as Eleven helped her to her feet.

"Tower of London in 1562," Eleven said as he helped steady her. "Are you alright? What happened. Why do you look so winded and how the hell did you get my TARDIS through the whirly thing? Did Kate and Glasses Girl pick it up and throw it through?"

"No, I'm from the future. Your future and I need your help. The Twelfth Doctor and Rose are in trouble."

The War Doctor frowned when Ten and Eleven jerked their bodies at hearing her name. the Tenth Doctor walked up to her.

"Where are they?"

"Karn. Sisterhood of Karn has them," Clara said.

The three Doctors looked at one another in dread.

"Take us there," Eleven said to her. "Give me the coordinates and…"

He suddenly realized as he turned that the interior had changed somewhat. He made a face in disapproval but realized there were more important things to consider at this time. He let Clara lean on him as he walked over to the console. Ten followed him and the War Doctor shut the door behind them as they prepared to leave England.

THE END.

A/N: I decided to make this the first of a series of stories so I'll start the next story of this series and post it soon. Hope you enjoyed this one.


End file.
